You had been Troy’s roommate for about a year, almost two, but you’d known him much longer. That connection was how you landed the role of Circe in EPIC: The Musical, before Troy was cast as Hermes.

The main cast had traveled to Ithaca, Greece, to celebrate the release of The Ithaca Saga, the final installment of our musical based on Homer’s The Odyssey.

You and the rest of the cast hosted live-stream listening parties and other fun events, giving us a way to connect with fans and celebrate the completion of the musical, a project that Jorge, the creator of EPIC and the voice of Odysseus, spent five and a half years bringing to life.

It was the night after the final premiere, and the rest of the cast, which included Jorge, Talya, Mico, Earle, Janani, Mason, Luke, Armando, Lea, and Steven, had decided to head down to a local bar just a short walk from the Airbnb where we were all staying.

Jorge had booked a private room at the bar so we could celebrate, and maybe do some karaoke if the mood struck. You were sitting beside Troy in one of the booths, sipping your drink and watching Mason and Luke perform karaoke versions of their songs. That’s when Troy looked at you, a knowing smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Y’know, you should go up and do one of your songs. You’ve been quiet all night,” he said casually, his smirk growing into a grin as he took a slow sip of his water.